Ricky Ponting sets sights on making Lord's honours board

Ricky Ponting launches what is almost certainly his final bid to make it on to the Lord's honours board as Australia start their first Test against Pakistan today.

Ponting's highest score in three previous Lord's appearances is 42, during the 2005 Ashes, and his average at the home of cricket is just 18 compared to a career-average of 55.22 over 144 Tests.

The Australian captain knows that, now aged 35, his chances of registering an Ashes century at Lord's almost certainly expired last summer when he made two and 38.

But Lord's have established a new honours board for neutral Test matches which is hung in the away dressing room.

The first two names on the board will be Charles Kelleway and Warren Bardsley, the Australians who scored centuries against South Africa in the last neutral Test held at Lord's, in 1912.

And Ponting would relish the chance to join them.

"It would have been nice to get on there in an Ashes Test match. That might happen, we wait and see what happens there," Ponting said.

"Unfortunately my record hasn't been great here at Lord's. I have an opportunity over the next few days to try to rectify that a little bit.

"But if it doesn't happen I have made enough of them around the world to be reasonably satisfied with what has happened."

Pakistan's new captain Shahid Afridi will play his first Test in four years after coming out of retirement from the longer form of the game to take over a team in disarray after their tour of Australia earlier this year.

After losing all three Tests and six limited-overs internationals, the Pakistan Cricket Board meted out wide-reaching punishments amid allegations of in-fighting.

The PCB subsequently lifted some of the bans, quashed the fines and coaxed back Afridi, who is confident nothing will derail Pakistan as they enter back-to-back Test series against Australia and England.

"The guys are united," Afridi said. "I am trying to keep the guys as close as I can. I take them for dinner and the communication problem is not there now.

"We sit together and chat to each other. If they have any problems they can come to me and the coach and share them.

"It is a difficult job, especially with the different cultures, and the different cities but I respect these guys and whatever their problems are I listen and talk to the management.

"They are feeling good playing with my captaincy. I am trying to be a good man manager."

Pakistan have lost 12 consecutive Test matches to Australia, dating back to 1999.